Improved water-meter



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N. PETERS. PHOTO-L ITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES' ArtNr FFICE@ B. S. CHURCH, OF MANHATTANVILLE, NEW YORK.

IIVlPROVED WATER-METER.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, B. S. CHURCH, of Manhattanville, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Vater-Meter; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and ex act description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section of a water-meter constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, the line x a, Fig. l, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the three views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in arranging in an air-tight vessel or air-chamber a series of buckets, of known capacity and of a peculiar form, in such relation to a hollow rotary chamber, which communicates with the supply-pipe, that the water as it enters from the chamber into the buckets causes the same to rotate and to discharge their contents; and the invention also consists in arranging in the above-named air-tight vessel or air-chamber a trough and discharge-pipe, which latter terminates in a separate chamber which communicates with the air-tight vessel or air-chamber by a passage which is closed by a valve in sucha manner that the pressure in the air-chamber regnlat-es itself according to the head of the water which enters through the supply-pipe, the whole of which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my water-meter, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A representsa drum,which rotates freely on an arbor, ci. The central part of this drum forms a chamber, B, which is surrounded by a series of buckets, C, which are open on both ends, so that the water which enters from the chamber through one end of the buckets is discharged through their other end. The form of these buckets is such that the water as it enters through their inner end causes them to rotate by its gravity, and it will be noticed, by referring to Fig. 2, that the quantity of water contained in the chamber B on the righthand side of the central line is considerably larger than the quantity on the left-hand side of this line, and the drum A therefore will commence to rotate in the direction of the arrow.

The drum is arranged in an air-tight chamber, D, and the water enters into the chamber B by means of a bent tube, E, which is firmly` secured in the side of the air-chamber, and which passes freely through a central opening, b, in the side of the chamber B, and this tube extends down into the chamber B, so that its inner end is closed by the water before the drum A begins to rotate. The arbor apasses through a similar opening, b', in the opposite side of the chamber B, and a pinion, c, which is rigidly secured to the end of this arbor,gears into a cog-wheel, d, which communicates its motion to the indexes e, which are inclosed in a separate casing, F, which is secured to the side of the air-chamber D in such a manner that an air tight joint is formed and the indexes e, together with the dial-plates c, are exposed to the view of the observer by means of a pane of glass, f, which is inserted into the front side of the cavity F.

G represents a trough, which is secured to the sides of the air-chamber D, by means of arms g, in such a manner that a certain space is left between the outside of the same and between theinner sides of the air-chamber. This trough surrounds the drum A, and its sides are high enough, so that all the water which may be discharged through the buckets C is received by the trough.

A pipe, H, extends from the trough G to the chamber I, which communicates with the airchamber D through a passage, h, which is closed by a valve, i, and this valve is kept in its seat by a weak spring, j. From the chamber I the water is drawn by means of a faucet, J, or a pipe may be connected to this chamber, which brings the water to the desired spot.

The pipe H rises in the trough G nearly to a level with the upper edge of the latter, so that no water flows from the trough before it has been nearly filled.

The operation is as follows: In most cases Where water-meters are used the supply-water as it reaches the meter has a considerable head, which varies according to the height below the level of the water in which the meter is situated, and the great desideratum with water meters hitherto has been to arrange them in such a manner that they adjust themselves to the head of water--that is to say, that they measure just as correct under a head of fty feet as under a head of one foot only. With my meter this object is obtained to perfection. The water enters through the supplytube E into the chamber B and through the buckets C into the trough G, whereby the drum A is caused to rotate, and the quantity of water thus discharged into the trough is registered by the indexes e. As the water rises in the trough, it passes through the pipe H into the chamber I, and the pressure of the water in the pipe forces-the valve z' up in its seat. The water will, however, continue to enter into the chamber B, and it will rise in the trough, so as to reach to, or quite near to, its edge, and if the head ot' the supply-water is very small it will soon cease to flow. With alarge head, however, it will cause the trough G to overflow, and the water will rise in the air-chamber D until the air is compressed to such a degree that the pressure on the surface of the Water in the trough and in the chamber B (which latter closes the end of the supply-tube) counterbalances the head of the supply-water; and now the water ceases to How until the equilibrium is disturbed, which is the case when some water is drawn from the chamber I or if the head of the supply-water is changed. In the iirst case when some water is drawn it flows from the trough through the pipe H to the faucet J, and as the quantity of thewater in the trough is diminished the pressure of the air in the airchamber is no longer able to withstand the head of the supply-water and a fresh supply enters through the tube E until the faucet J is again closed,when the waterin the trough rises up and the equilibrium is restored. If, on the other hand, the head of the supply-water be diminished and the faucet J is opened, the compressed air in the air-chamber D will cause the water in the pipe H to sink down below the level of the water in the lower part of the airchamber, and this latter escapes through the passage h, the valve t beingforced open by the larger pressure on its inner side until the water in the air-chamber has sunk down so much that the pressure of the air in the air-chamber is again in equilibrium with the head of the supply-water.

Where the changes in the head of the supply-water are so small that this item may be considered of no consequence the pipe H and the chamber I can be dispensed with, and the water from the buckets Gis discharged into the trough G, from which it overtlows into the air-chamber D, from which it is drawn by a suitable pipe or faucet, and if this pipe or faucet be closed the water will continue to flow into the air-chamber until the pressure of the air in the same and the head of Water are in equilibrium. Y

From these considerations it will be easily understood how my meter must necessarily measure correct Wherever applied, as in all cases it is the gravity of the water alone which causes the drum A to rotate.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of drum A with the chamber B and buckets C, as described, in combination with the trough G and the airchamber D, and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement and combination of the trough G, the pipe H, the chamber I, the airchamber D, and the drum A, to operate substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

B. S. CHURCH.

Witnesses:

M. M. LrvINGsToN, R. TRAPHAGEN. 

